Characteristics of Guatemala SHB Grade Coffee Beans: Introduction to Flavor, Taste, and Stories from Eight Major Coffee Growing Regions

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When it comes to American coffee, people often think of Brazilian and Colombian coffees from South America. However, when mentioning Central American coffee, Panama often steals the spotlight. Yet, Guatemala's coffee is also highly distinctive with its regional characteristics. Otherwise, FrontStreet Coffee wouldn't have included Guatemala in its daily bean selection series (though it has since been discontinued).

Those who have tasted Guatemalan coffee know that coffees from this producing country are famous for their richness, smooth texture, and subtle smoky notes amidst mellow aromas—much like the flavor of chocolate sweetness mixed with smoky notes. It is precisely because of its unique smoky aroma that Antigua coffee also has the nickname "cigarette coffee."

Basic Overview of Guatemala

Guatemala is located in the southern part of the North American continent and northwestern Central America. The country borders Mexico to the west and north, and connects with Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Two-thirds of Guatemala's terrain consists of mountains and plateaus, with western and southern regions belonging to the volcanic belt, containing over thirty volcanoes.

Guatemala is situated in the tropics, with northern and eastern coastal areas having a tropical rainforest climate, while southern mountainous areas have a subtropical climate. The year is clearly divided into wet and dry seasons: May to October is the wet season, and November to April of the following year is the dry season. The central highlands are Guatemala's cultural center, with elevations between 1,300 to 1,800 meters. The climate is mild year-round, with temperatures between 18°C to 28°C.

The northeastern region receives annual precipitation of 2,000-3,000 millimeters, while the south receives 500-1,000 millimeters. Guatemala has a high average elevation, with coffee growing zones distributed above 1,500 meters, between 14 and 16 degrees north latitude, making it easy to grow extremely hard beans.

Guatemala's Coffee Growing History

Guatemala's coffee consumption history dates back to 1747, but the country's coffee cultivation truly began in 1750 when Father Jesuit introduced coffee trees to Guatemala for planting. In 1845, coffee became an important economic crop for Guatemala. By 1880, coffee accounted for 90% of Guatemala's total exports. To increase production, authorities targeted indigenous lands, forcing them to sell their properties and relocate to areas with more barren soil. Today, about 60,000 family farms operate coffee businesses in Guatemala. Coffee is grown in the Sierra Mountains near the Pacific coast. This Sierra mountain range spans the entire country, connecting northward to the Rocky Mountains and southward to the Andes.

Guatemala's Coffee Growing Regions

The Guatemalan Coffee Association established the Guatemalan Coffee Bean brand, defining coffees from eight different regions with the slogan "A Rainbow of Choices." These eight regions are divided into Antigua Classic, Huehuetenango, Rainforest Coban, Traditional Atitlan, Fraijanes Plateau, Volcanic San Marcos, Acatenango, and New Oriente coffee producing regions.

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce three of these well-known regions:

Antigua Region

The Antigua region is surrounded by three volcanoes (Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango), forming a valley. Among these, Fuego is an active volcano that erupts periodically, enriching Antigua's soil with abundant minerals. The region preserves extensive primary forests, and combined with fertile volcanic soil, coffee plants here have ample nutrients for growth. The Antigua region enjoys mild climate year-round with stable humidity, rarely experiencing extreme weather changes. Coffee grows at elevations above 1,500 meters. Coffee from this region has won the most awards in Guatemala and is the most famous producing region in the country.

One of the Guatemalan coffees that FrontStreet Coffee sources is from the Antigua region—the FrontStreet Coffee Guatemalan Flor de Café. More notably, it comes from La Minita company. La Minita benefits from its estate's geographical advantages in terms of climate and altitude, where conditions limit pest populations, so no pesticides are used here for coffee cultivation, and the few pests present don't significantly affect the coffee trees.

The estate conducts soil testing twice a year to determine fertilization methods and is very careful when using yield-enhancing products, fertilizing approximately three times per year. The estate's scientific cultivation management creates the excellent flavor of FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemalan Flor de Café beans. Additionally, La Minita's strict monitoring of the entire process from planting to packaging ensures the quality of FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemalan Flor de Café beans.

FrontStreet Coffee · Guatemala Antigua Flor de Café

Region: Guatemala Antigua Region

Estate: La Minita Estate

Altitude: 1,200 meters

Varieties: Caturra, Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed Process

Huehuetenango Region

The Huehuetenango region has a dry climate and high altitude. Thanks to dry, hot winds from Mexico's Tehuantepec Isthmus, coffee in the Huehuetenango region is protected from frost damage. This region receives warm, moist Caribbean air from the central mountain range, creating a misty, variable climate while also possessing fertile volcanic soil.

FrontStreet Coffee's daily bean selection series includes one coffee from Guatemala's Huehuetenango region.

FrontStreet Coffee · Guatemala Huehuetenango

Region: Guatemala Huehuetenango Region

Altitude: 1,500m-2,000m

Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai

Processing Method: Washed Process

New Oriente Region

In ancient times, the New Oriente region was a volcanic area where the soil consists of metamorphic rocks, thus containing abundant minerals. Before starting coffee cultivation, New Oriente was one of Guatemala's poorest regions. Since the 1950s, farmers in the mountains have relied on the naturally nutrient-rich land to begin coffee cultivation. Slowly, this area has gradually flourished and now has become a rising star in Guatemala's coffee cultivation industry.

Coffee from the New Oriente region has balanced flavor and rich body, with chocolate notes.

Brewing Method

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Guatemala Antigua Flor de Café as an example for segmented extraction:

Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour with a small stream in a circular motion to 125g for the first segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops again and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cone. (Timing starts from the bloom) Extraction time: 2'00".

Flavor Description

Citrus acidity is quite prominent, with juicy acidity and abundant floral notes. Pleasant sweetness, medium body, with slight caramel and smoky notes in the finish. Overall clean, gentle, and smooth in texture, with a balanced, lively, and multi-layered character.

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